a well wisherAdmin Group
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Rating: 0 of 0 votes Posted: 15 November 2010 at 10:53am

Al-Wahhāb & al-Razzāq – the Bestower & Provider

Allah bestows upon us His gifts and His providence. He bestows upon us His mercy and His blessings and He provides for our needs in every way.

Allah says: “Our Lord! Cause not our hearts to stray after You have guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Your presence. Truly, You are the Bestower.” [Sūrah Āl `Imrān: 8]

“Or do they have the treasures of the mercy of your Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower?” [Sūrah Sād: 9]

“(Solomon) said: My Lord! Forgive me and bestow on me a kingdom such as shall not belong to anyone after me. Lo! You are the Bestower.” [Sūrah Sād: 35]

Allah says: “Lo! Allah! He is the Provider, the Possessor of Unyielding Strength.” [Sūrah al-Dhāriyāt: 58]

Allah is referred to as “the Best of Providers” in five places in the Qur’an. For example: “The recompense of your Lord is best, and He is the Best of Providers.” [Sūrah al-Mu’minūn: 72]

Though people provide for one another, Allah is the Provider of them all. This is because He is the creator of all sustenance and of all people and of the various means by which sustenance reaches them.

Allah provides two kinds of sustenance to His creatures:

1. General sustenance: This is the sustenance Allah provides for everyone, whether they are righteous or wicked and whether they believe in Him or not. Allah says: “There is not a beast on Earth but its sustenance depends on Allah.” [Sūrah Hūd: 6]

How many living creatures are there on Earth, not just on land, but also in the ocean depths? How many more must there be spread throughout the universe? Allah provides for them all, arranging for the means of their sustenance in ways we can apprehend and ways we cannot even imagine.

Abraham (peace be upon him) beseeched Allah with the following words: “My Lord, make it a secure town and provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day.” Allah replied: “And whoever disbelieves, I will grant him enjoyment for a short while, then I will drive him to the chastisement of the Fire; and it is an evil destination.” [Sūrah al-Baqarah: 126]

When Abraham appealed to his Lord to provide for the believing inhabitants of Mecca, Allah replied that His worldly sustenance He provides for all people.

We find this idea reinforced by another verse of the Qur’an: “Is someone to whom We have made a goodly promise, and who is going to attain it comparable to someone to whom We have given the good things of this life, but who, on the Day of Judgment will be brought to task?” [Sūrah al-Qasas: 61]

2. Special sustenance: This Allah provides to His choicest servants. It is the providence of faith. The one who received it is to be inclined to the worship of one’s Lord, to know Him, and to obey Him, and to thereby attain His pleasure.

Allah has placed in the hearts of the believers the faith, contentment, and spiritual awareness, all of which is but a prelude for the reward they will receive in the Hereafter. This spiritual sustenance is also what Allah revealed to humanity in the Qur’an and by way of His Messengers.

God’s name “Al-Ghaffar” (The All-and Oft-Forgiving) comes in the Quran under three forms which mean that God forgives all kinds of sins everywhere and at all times as He is the Oft-and-All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful...

Different Meanings of God’s Divine Name “Al-Ghaffar”:

1- Linguistically speaking and concerning such variation of word-forms, God’s name “Al-Ghaffar” denotes differences in quantity, quality and frequency of occurrence, for He is “Ghaffar” in the sense that He is both Oft-Forgiving and All-Forgiving...

1- The first meaning has to do with people’s provision or sustenance. In this context, God says: {Allah extends provision for whom He wills of His slaves, and straitens it for whom (He wills). Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of all things.} (Al-’Ankabut 29: 62)

{Do they not see that Allah extends provision for whom He wills and straitens (it for whom He wills)? Verily, in that are indeed Signs for a people who believe.} (Ar-Rum 30: 37)

It is He who gives or withholds sustenance for people. It is He who makes people rich or poor. If He desires to provide you with sustenance, He inspires you and enables you to have the necessary ways and means to earn money and make your living. If, for some reason or another, He desires to withhold provision from you, He blocks all ways in your face, even though you might be so smart or brilliant.

For that we should firmly believe that God is the All-Provider, and that He, only He, is the one who withholds or extends provision for His human slaves.

To this effect, God says: {And if Allah were to enlarge provision for His slaves, they would surely rebel in the earth, but He sends down by measure as He wills. Verily, He is, in respect of His slaves, the Well-Aware, the All-Seer (of things that benefit them).} (Ash-Shura 42 :27)

God’s Name Al-Muhaimin (The Protector)

When we say God is “Al-Muhaimin” it means He knows all things, and that His divine Knowledge is infinite, nothing in the heavens and the earth can ever be hidden from Him. This is because God knows even secret glances of the eyes. He knows what was, what is, what will be and what is not: if it were to be how it would be.

He knows all secrets that no human being can ever see. He knows your secret and public things: things that you keep secret for yourself or things that you announce. He knows what goes into the interior of the earth and what goes out of it. He knows what falls from the heaven and what goes up into it. And He is with you wherever you may be: in your secret intentions, hopes, ambitions, desires, motivations, movements, secrecy, publicity, interior, exterior …etc. He knows everything. ...

When we say that God is “Lateef” (Subtle) with His slaves, it means that He, All Mighty, is always with you. He hears your voice, and knows what is in your mind and heart of ideas, thoughts, ambitions, conflicts, opinions, beliefs, imaginations, and conceptions.

He also knows what is in your heart of troubles, pains, worries, hardships, pressures, distresses, fears, etc.

The word “Tawab” is an emphatic noun that means that God is The granter and acceptor of repentance of His slaves in the sense that, often and often, He turns to His slaves and accepts their repentance, no matter how grievous or numerous their sins might be. Also, it means that God very often turns to His slaves with His divine favors and graces, and with His divine forgiveness and mercy.

Thus, a delicate meaning of God’s name “At-Tawab” can be derived from this Quranic verse: {Then He (Allah) turned to them so that they might repent. Certainly, Allah is The Granter and Acceptor of Repentance, Most Merciful.} (At-Tawbah 9: 118)

And, of course, after a sin has been committed, repentance is acceptable and welcomed; and God, The Granter and Acceptor of Repentance, blesses those who repent after having committed a sinful deed and after having been visited by a misfortune...

1- The first and widest gate of guidance to God is His creation, and in this sense His divine name “Al-Hadi” (The Guide) is derived from His divine act of guidance.

God says: {Say: ‘Behold all that is in the heavens and the earth.’ But neither Signs nor warnings benefit those who believe not.} (Yunus 10: 101)

Hence, the universe leads to God simply because it puts us face to face with God’s infinite divine power, might, wisdom, mercy, knowledge, creativity, etc. In other words, God guides us by means of His creation: {Then let man look at his food.} (‘Abasa 80: 24)

{Then let man look from what he has been created. He has been created from a gushing liquid, coming forth from the backbone and the ribs. Verily, He (Allah) is Able to bring him back (to life)!} (At-Tariq 86: 5-8)

Accurately and comprehensively, God’s divine name, “Al-Kareem” denotes that His Existence is definitive. He is free from any defect or imperfection. He is the All Mighty and no one but Him deserves to be worshipped.

This can be summed up in three notions with regards to God: His existence, oneness, and perfection. In this sense God is “Kareem”; He exists, He is one, and He is perfect. These three accurate divine attributes that have to do with God’s name “Al-Kareem” can be explained as follows:

1- God is “Kareem” in the sense that He initiates His divine favors to His slaves, even though they do not deserve such favors. Out of His divine grace, He brings us into existence even though He is not obliged to do so. In other words, He bestows His divine favor upon us by bringing us into existence ...

3- Another meaning of God’s name “Al Kareem” is that He covers His slave’s sins, and faults. ...

5- One of the beautiful meanings of God’s name “Al-Kareem” is that He overlooks His slave’s sins and misdeeds although the latter is never unaware of them. ...

9- God is “Al-Kareem” that He grants without a reminder, which human beings never do. When human beings do favors to one another, they usually remind them of such favors.

I actually just recently downloaded an app for my Android phone that has the 99 names of Allah in it. It has the transliteration and then the Arabic. If I click on the Arabic, the name is pronounced in Arabic. It also says, briefly, what each name means (good since I don't speak Arabic).

The word “Tawab” is an emphatic noun that means that God is The granter and acceptor of repentance of His slaves in the sense that, often and often, He turns to His slaves and accepts their repentance, no matter how grievous or numerous their sins might be. Also, it means that God very often turns to His slaves with His divine favors and graces, and with His divine forgiveness and mercy.

Thus, a delicate meaning of God’s name “At-Tawab” can be derived from this Quranic verse: {Then He (Allah) turned to them so that they might repent. Certainly, Allah is The Granter and Acceptor of Repentance, Most Merciful.} (At-Tawbah 9: 118)

And, of course, after a sin has been committed, repentance is acceptable and welcomed; and God, The Granter and Acceptor of Repentance, blesses those who repent after having committed a sinful deed and after having been visited by a misfortune...

1- Some scholars hold that: “The word “Al-Mutakabbir” is derived from ‘Al-Kibria’ (Sublimity, Pride); and he who has the right to claim for sublimity or pride is the king.” To this effect He says: {They said (to Moses): ‘You have come to us to turn us away from that (Faith) which we found our fathers following, and that you two may have sublimity in the land? We are not going to believe you two!} [(Yunus 10; 78]

2- Allah is also Mutakabbir in the sense that His divine sublimity is Infinite, He is great, the one whose divine greatness is Infinite. Thus ‘Al-Mutakabbir’ (the Sublime) is God, the king, Whose sovereignty never perishes, the Great, in Whose Kingdom nothing happens except by His leave, the One, the Omnipotent...

a well wisherAdmin Group
Religion: Islam(Muslim)
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Rating: 0 of 0 votes Posted: 12 December 2010 at 4:47am

Anyone who takes time to consider the names of Allah will come to a surprising realization:not one of these names focuses on Allah’s punishment, anger or wrath. Instead, we find names that express His mercy, love, and kindness, others that communicate His knowledge and wisdom, those that speak about His greatness and majesty, as well as those that speak about His creative powers and providence.

We find names like: the Beneficent, the Merciful, the Forgiving, the Source of Peace, the Bestower, the Provider, the Most Kind, and the Loving. There are no names like: “the Punisher”, “the Avenger”, or “the Wrathful”. The Qur’an speaks about Allah being “severe in punishment”, but this is actually a description of Allah’s punishment and not of Allah Himself. It is Allah’s punishment that is severe.

A number of scholars have pointed out this distinction, among them Ibn Taymiyah who writes:

None of Allah’s names denote anything terrible or bad. The consequences of Allah’s actions, however, can at times be described as bad. For instance, Allah says: “Announce, (O Muhammad) to My slaves that verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful, and that My punishment is a painful one.” [Sūrah al-Hijr: 49-50] and: “Indeed Your Lord is swift in punishing, and indeed He is Most-Forgiving, Merciful.” [Sūrah al-A`rāf: 167] and: “Know that Allah is severe in punishing and (know as well) that Allah is Most-Forgiving, Merciful.” [Sūrah al-Mā’idah: 98]

Ibn al-Qayyim observes:

Blessings and salvation are attained through Allah’s mercy, forgiveness, benevolence, and generosity. Therefore, we find these meanings attributed to Allah. As for Allah’s punishment and its consequences, these are among Allah’s creations, and as such, Allah is not called “the Punisher” or “the Wrathful”. This is an important difference. The former set of meanings is attributed to Allah directly while the latter are only used to describe His actions. This distinction can even be found in a single passage of the Qur’an, for instance: “Announce, (O Muhammad) to My slaves that verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful, and that My punishment is a painful one.” [Sūrah al-Hijr: 49-50]

Dr. Umar al-Ashqar writes: “Names are not ascribed to Allah from the derivative attributes of His actions, such as His being severe or swift in punishing, or swift in reckoning…” These phrases are always descriptive of certain circumstances and we never see them directly attributed to Allah as names. Moreover, such descriptions only apply to the specific contexts in which they appear. Therefore, Allah is not described as being eternally in a state of anger or wrath, or of eternally dispensing punishment. By contrast, the meanings that Allah’s names convey are eternally and constantly applicable to Him.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said, while beseeching Allah in prayer: “Evil is never applicable to You.” [Sahīh Muslim (771)] This means that Allah is perfectly and completely good in His essence, names, and attributes. He is praiseworthy in every way. His actions are full of wisdom and justice and they are always for the best. His names are all depictions of beauty.

Evil exists in the world that Allah created, since Allah’s wisdom dictated that He create a world containing both good and evil. It is in this way that evil can be understood to exist as a consequence of Allah’s actions as Creator, and Allah alone knows why the presence of evil in the world is for the best. It is something that goes beyond our limited human understanding.

When we regard all of Allah’s names together, we see a clear pattern. All of His names refer to benevolence, generosity, mercy, kindness, clemency, and forgiveness. This tells us something very important. It shows us that love is the foremost quality that we should focus on in our relationship with Allah. It is the quality that brings us nearest to Him, and it should govern how we conduct ourselves with others in the world.

Our love for Allah should transcend the fear we have of Him as well as the hopes we pin on His favor. This does not mean that we should fail to pin our hopes on Allah, nor that we should be devoid of feelings of awe or fear of Him, since Allah describes some of His righteous servants as follows: “They would vie with one other in good deeds, and they cried unto Us in longing and fear, and they were submissive unto Us.” [Sūrah al-Anbiyā’: 90]

He also says: “Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret. Lo! He loves not those who are aggressors. Do no mischief on the Earth after it hath been set in order, but call on Him with fear and longing (in your hearts): for Allah’s mercy is always near to those who do good.” [Sūrah al-A`rāf: 55-56]

When we affirm that the love of Allah is foremost, we must not be hesitant in doing so, fearing that our categorical commitment to Allah’s love means we should no longer fear Him or pin our hopes of salvation upon Him. All of these feelings are aspects of our relationship with Allah. They complement and reinforce one another. Once we understand this, we will find ourselves open to more goodness than ever before. Our deeds will be better for it, and we must know that Allah’s mercy far surpasses the merit of our best deeds. So we beseech Allah for His mercy and support, and ask Him never to leave us to our own efforts

1- Most comprehensively considered meaning of “Al-Haseeb” is the Sufficient; the master you can count on or depend on, and there is no one as sufficient as He is; If you depend on the most powerful person in this world, he may die when you are in great need of him, or he may change suddenly without any reason, or he may neglect you. ...

2- God is “Haseeb” (the rewarding) in the sense that He grants you greatly, He satisfies His slaves and suffices them with all their provisions...

“Al-Aziz” (the All-Mighty) is a quality of God’s perfection since being “Aziz” (All-Mighty) is that He is one and only so that everything needs Him so badly for everything, that He is too difficult to reach, none could ever encompass Him in knowledge, not even Prophets, for no one knows God except He, Himself. Thus, a man can only reach Him as a created slave of His ...

Different Meanings of God’s Name “Al-Aziz”:

1- “Al-Aziz” is He the like of whom is none, rival to whom is none and equal to whom is none. He is unique and nothing is like Him. ...

2- “Al-Aziz” is the one who overpowers and is never overpowered...

3- “Al-Aziz” is the Mighty and forceful ...

4- “Al-Aziz” is the one who grants power and honor to His slaves...

5- “Al-Aziz” is the one who is too rare, who is so badly needed, and who is too difficult to reach...

6- God alone is “Al-Aziz” because existence and survival of all things depend on Him. In other words, no one, except God alone, is needed by all things for all things. That is why He is “Al-Aziz”....

7- God is “Al-Aziz” the “All-Mighty”, some scholars say, in the sense that He, in the oceans of whose Majesty the minds get drowned, whose graces and blessings cannot be properly enumerated or conceived, whose perfection and beauty cannot be described by human tongues...

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